Frame for assembling and shipping a refrigeration unit



Feb. 20, 1951 c. B. ONE ILL 2,542,563

FRAME FOR ASSEMBLING AND SHIPPING A REFRIGERATION UNIT Filed Sept. 17, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 6&4/256 ,3. OWEJZZ,

Feb. 20, 1951 c. B.- O'NEILL FRAME FOR ASSEMBLING AND SHIPPING A REFRIGERATION UNIT 5 Sheets-ShtR Fild Sept I 17, 1945 INVENTOR. agar-[6.515. OWEZZZ I Feb. 20, 1951 c. B. ONElLL 2,542,553

FRAME FOR ASSEMBLING AND SHIPPING A REFRIGERATION UNIT Filed Sept. 17, 1945 r 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

6 542-2225 4 W65 ZZ BY C. B. O'NEILL Feb. 20, I951 FRAME FDR ASSEMBLING AND SHIPPING A REFRIGERATION UNIT Filed Sept. 17, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

BY WM v ATra/r/ws'ys.

Feb. 20, 1951 Q c. B. ONEILL 2,542,563

FRAME FOR ASSEMBLING AND SHIPPING A REFRIGERATION UNIT Filed Sept. 1;], 1945 '5 sheets-sheet 5 IN VEN TOR.

Patented Feb. 20, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRAME FOR ASSEMBLING AND SHIPPING A REFRIGERATION UNIT Charles B. ONeill, Tecumseh, Mich., assignor to Tecumseh Products Company, Tecumseh, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application September 17, 1945, Serial No. 616,816

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a method and means for assembling, testing and shipping refrigeration were supported when secured in operating relation. The elements were removed from'the jigs and mounted in separate shipping crates which were usually of the expendable type. Material, time and cost are saved by employing the frame of the present invention which functions as a jig for locating the elements of the complete refrigeration unit and for supporting them in position when the elements are assembled together. The frame supports the element during the time the completed unit is tested and forms the shipping crate for the unit which may be stacked one upon another within the boxcar, truck, or other means of conveyance.

The frames are constructed of top and bottom plates which nest with each otherso as to stack readily one upon the other. The plates are interconnected by four corner posts which are removable so that the posts and plates may bereturned in a compact assembly after the refrigeration unit has been removed at its point of destination.

The elements of the refrigeration unit are supported in the frame in the same relation to each other as they will have in the refrigeration cabinet so that it is only necessary to remove the unit from the frame and insert it in the cabinet where it is secured in position ready to operate. By such a process the manufacturer of the elements may assemble and test the elements when connected together in operating relation in the same position as when mounted in the refrigeration cabinet. The manufacturer of the refrigerators need only provide for the construction of the cabinets since the entire operating unit as furnished in the frame can be placed therein and secured in position with all of the parts in permanent operating relation to each other. X Accordingly, the main objects of the invention are: to provide a shipping frame constructed of a pair of end plates which are maintained in spaced relation by four corner posts which are removably attached thereto; to provide a shipping frame with top and bottom plates joined by corner posts and so constructed as to permit the operator to perform all operations on the ele-,

ments to complete the refrigeration unit after they are mounted in the frame in predetermined relation to each other; to employ a shipping frame as a jig in which the elements of a refrigeration unit are mounted in predetermined relation to each other and connected together in operating relation and supported during the testing operations before the frame and unit are shipped;

'to provide a frame for assembling and shipping a complete refrigeration unit having a spaced base and top plate to which the elements of the unit are secured and which are formed so that one frame may be mounted on the top of another during shipment and storage; and, in general, to provide a, frame of simple construction which may be employed as a jig, a fixture and a shipping frame, all of which is economical of manufacture.

Other objects and features of novelty of the invention will be specifically pointed out or will become apparent when referring, for a betterunderstanding of the invention, to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a broken view in elevation of a frame embodying features of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the top plate of the frame illustrated in Fig. 1, as viewed on line 22 thereof;

Fig. 3 is a plan' view of the bottom plate illustrated in Fig. 1, as viewed from the bottom side thereof; I

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1, taken on the line 44 thereof; a

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 3, taken on the line 5-5 thereof;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1, taken on the line 6-6 thereof;

Fig. '7 is a view of the frame illustrated in Fig. 1, with a compressor unit mounted therein;

Fig. 8 is a view of the structure illustratedin Fig. 7, with a condenser added thereto;

Fig. 9 is a view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 8, with an evaporator added thereto;

Fig. 10 is a view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 9, with the compressor, the condenser and theevaporator connected byconduits to provide a complete operable refrigeration unit with the elements thereof positioned in the same relation trated in Fig. 1, with the complete refrigeration unit mounted therein;

Fig. 12 is a sectional view of a railroad boxcar illustrating a plurality of frames containing the refrigeration units stacked therein one upon another and in side-by-side relationship; and,

Fig. 13 is a sectional view of a refrigeration cabinet with the elements of the refrigeration unit mounted therein in the same relation to each other had in the assembly and shipping frame illustrated in Fig. 1.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, the shipping frame I5 embodies a top plate l6 and a bottom plate ll interconn cted by corner posts 18. The top plate 16, as illustrated in Fig. 2, has side flanges l9 which diverge outwardlyfrom the web portion 2|. The web portion 2| has projecting apertured bosses 22 near the corners thereof for the purpose of supporting the evaporator of the refrigerator unit. The bottom plate I'I as illustrated in Fig. 3, comprises a web portion 23 having an upwardly diverging side flange 24 which is capable of nesting with the flange 19 of the top plate 16 so that one frame. l5 may be stacked. upon another during storage and shipment. Apertured projecting bosses 25 extend upwardly from the web portion 23, forming supports for the base element 26 of a hermetically sealed compressor unit 21. Ledges 28 are formed in the corners of the bottom p ate [1 and the web portions 23 are lanced and projected upwardly in the plane of the ledge 28 to form additional ledges 29 for providing attachment surfaces for the corner posts i8.

The corner posts It? embody angle elements 3! to which angular shaped corner elements 32 are secured at each end by suitab e means herein illustrated as by rivets 33. It is to be understood that the elements 32 are exactly alike so that they may be connected at either end to the top or bottom plate l'i or I! at any of the corners thereof. The ends of the angle elements 32 are flanged inwardly at 34, as illustrated in Fig. 6, having apertures therein in which threaded nuts 35 are secured and disposed to be aligned with apertures 36 in the ledges 28 and 29' and with the apertures 31 in the web 2! of the top plate [6. The bosses 25, as illustrated in Fig. 5, have two apertures containing threaded nuts 38 similar to the nuts 35 which are secured in position by a swaged end in the conventional manner.

The shipping frame is assembled by inserting bolts 39 through the apertures 36 in the ledges 28 and 29 of the bottom plate I! and screwing them into nuts 35 on the angle element 32 on the ends of the corner posts 18. Similar bolts are inserted through the apertures 31 in the web 2| of the top plate 16 and screwed into the nuts 35 on the elements 32 on the opposite ends of the corner posts l8. After two corner posts I8 have been secured to the top and bottom plates on the corners 4i thereof corresponding to the rear wall of the refrigerator, the assembly is employed as a fixture for supporting the elements of the refrigeration units as they are assembled therein.

The frame when employed as a fixture is placed upon an endless, carrier which is advanced therealong past various stations to have the elements of the refrigerating machine assembled thereon. At the first station illustrated in Fig. 7, the compressor unit 21 is secured in the fixture by attaching the base 26 thereof to the bosses in the web, 23 of the base plate 11. The base 26 is secured in position by a plurality of bolts 39 ex- 4 tending downwardly therethrough into the nuts 38 in the bosses 25.

Fig. 8 is a view of the structure of Fig. '7 after it has advanced to the next succeeding station at which a condenser 43- is attached by arms 44 to the compressor unit 2! by screws 40.

Fig. 9 is a view of the structure of Fig. 8 after it is advanced to the next succeeding station where an evaporator 45 is secured to the top plate it by bolts extending through the apertures in the bosses 22 in the web 2! of the plate.

Fig. 10 is a view of the structure of Fig. 9 after it has been advanced to the next succeeding station, at which point the conductor tube 46 and the capillary tube 41 are attached to the evaporator 45, to the compressor 21, and to the condenser 43, respectively. The conductor tube 46 and capillary tube 41 are soldered together in heat conductive relation to each other prior to assembly in the fixture. A large aperture 48 is provided in the web portion of the top plate Hi to facilitate the soldering of the ends of the tubes 46 and 41 to the evaporator when mounted in the fixture.

It will be noted in Figs. 9 and 10 that insulating blocks 49 are inserted between the evaporator 45 and the top plate it for insulating the evaporator from the metal of the frame so that an accurate test can be made on the unit after assembly when operated under normal conditions in a test room. The bolts extending through the apertures in the embossed portions 22 of the top plate may be insulated from the top plate by insulating washers disposed on each side of the plate to prevent the bolt from contacting the plate. These insulating elements may be removed before the unit is shipped with the bolts directly supporting the evaporator 45 against the bottom face of the top plate It.

The unit is maintained in the fixture when tested under water for leakage and when disposed within the drying oven for dehydrating the interior of the unit before it is filled with a lubricant and a refrigerant. The unit and fixture are then placed in a testing room where they are operated under normal conditions to check for satisfactory operation. After passing the test, the two additional corner posts I8 are added to the unsupported front corners of the top and bottom plates and the frame then has sufficient strength to support the units for shipment in stacked relation to each other.

In Fig. 11 the frame is illustrated with four corner posts 18 attached to the top and bottom plates, with a complete refrigeration unit assembled therein for shipment. The frames and the assembled units may be mounted in a carrier such as the boxcar 5| illustrated in Fig. 12. The frames 15 are mounted four abreast across the boxcar with the frames resting upon the floor supporting a row of frames thereabove. The frames are self-supporting and do not require any special racks or cribbing to rigidly maintain all of the frames within the car against any possible damage to the units contained therein while eliminating any waste space in the usable area of the car.

In Fig. 13, a refrigerator cabinet 52 is illus trated in which the refrigerating unit shipped in the frame I5 has been assembled. It is only necessary to remove the two front corner posts from the frame in order to remove the refrigeration unit therefrom. The assembled unit is then inserted in the cabinet 52 where the evaporator 45 and the base of the compressor 2? are secured in permanent position. The refrigerator is then completely assembled ready for shipment and commercial use.

The corner posts I 8 at the rear of the frame are then removed from the top and bottom plate and the plates are then stacked in nested relation with each other and with plates from other frames which were disassembled in like manner. The nested plate and corner posts l8 are returned to the manufacturer of the refrigeration unit in knocked-down relation requiring a minimum amount of shipping space.

In this manner the shipping frame functions as a fixture in which the elements of the refrigeration unit are assembled as the fixture advances along the assembly line. The frame supports the assembled unit during the various tests made thereon after assembly. Additional corner posts provide rigidity to the resulting shipping frame which may be stacked one upon another when assembled in a carrier. After the refrigeration unit is removed from the shipping frame and placed in a refrigeration cabinet, the frame is knocked down and returned to the manufacturer where it is reemployed as a jig and fixture for assembling additional units therein.

What is claimed is: I

1. A frame in which elements are assembled in unit relation comprising rectangular top and bottom members having flanges projecting upwardly and outwardly from the edges in such relation to each other that the bottom member may nest within the top member, four corner posts having flat faces on the ends disposed normal to the post length and releasably engaging in face to face relation the four corners of the top and bottom members for spacing them a predetermined distance apart, and bolts for securing said posts to said members.

2. A frame for assemblingand shipping refrigeration units including, in combination, a top and bottom plate having edge flanges of such shape that the bottom plate nests Within the top plate,

the corners of said plates bein provided with corner post attaching means, four corner posts for said plates releasably attached to said attaching means, means on the bottom plate to which a compressor may be secured in fixed position, and means on the top plate by which an evaporator may be supported at a predetermined distance above the compressor.

3. A metal frame for assembling and shipping refrigeration units including, in combination, a top and bottom plate having edge flanges of such shape that the bottom plate nests within the top plate, the corners of said plates being provided with corner post attaching means, four corner posts for said plates releasably attached to said attaching means, means on the bottom plate to which a compressor unit may be secured in fixed position with a condenser mounted upon the compressor unit, means on the top plate for supporting an evaporator at a predetermined distance above the compressor and condenser, said top plate containing an aperture to facilitate the attachment of tubes tothe evaporator which are connected in operating relation to the compressor and condenser, and means for insulating said evaporator from the metal of said frame.

4. A frame for shipping a refrigeration unit including, in combination, a polygonal-shaped top andbottom member having upwardly extending outwardly sloping peripheral flanges with the bottom member capable of nesting within the top member, a plurality of posts, one for each corner of said members, said posts having ends provided with fiat faces disposed normal to the length of the posts for abutting the surface of the members at the corners thereof, the corners of said members and the flat faces of said posts having aligned apertures through which bolts extend for releasably securing the posts to the members and for length of the posts for abutting the surface of the members at the corners thereof, the corners of said members and the flat faces of said posts having aligned apertures through which bolts extend for releasably securing the posts to the members and for spacing the members a predetermined distance apart, said members having additional apertures and bolts extending therethrough for securing a refrigeration unit between said members.

6. In a frame, a unit top member, a unit bottom member, edge flanges extending upwardly from said members and shaped to permit the bottom member to nest within the top member, corner posts for spacing said members each com prising a central angle section and like elements secured to the ends thereof, said elements having end flanges disposed normal to the central portiOn for engaging the face of the bottom side of said top member and the face of th top side of said bottom member, said flanges and members having aligned apertures for receiving bolts which secure the flanges to the members in fixed releasable relation to each other.

CHARLES B. ONEILL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Anderson Oct. 5, 1943 

